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Hello all, and we are getting closer to summer, day by day! As we celebrate the fact that Spring has sprung, you may notice your student has brought a plant home to celebrate the earth bursting into life again (often times it is a sunflower variety of some sort to honor spring and/or someone in the family, in a 'rooted in kindness' compostable pot that one can put right in the ground after the danger of frost has passed, care instructions here). The hope is to share fun things with home, generate excitement, involvement, and investment in the greenhouse in school and at home, and to grow fun stuff (some of these plants grow tall, some attract pollinators, some are great for cut flowers, and some are just really pretty - and a few kids choose to plant a medium spicy pepper - all of this is sort of delicious in some sense).
In light of the changing season and the nearing end of school, I also wanted to connect with families about using the greenhouse in the summer. We hope this is a resource that we can all access, enjoy, and help make thrive all year, and in order to do so, I thought I would write to encourage use, set out a draft of guidelines that can steer us and keep things growing and safe, and solicit feedback on guidelines, what to plant, and desired projects for the future. I'll post these initial guidelines (and hope they evolve and become more detailed as we find what adjustments are needed after experimentation and stakeholder input) and try to label things to help us find what we need (tools, seeds, watering devices and how/when to water, weed identification and planting spaces, etc.) and adjust and plan and partner, and here we go!
Summer Greenhouse Guidelines – Growing Together as a Community
We are so excited to keep our school greenhouse open and thriving throughout the summer! This space belongs to all of us, and we hope it becomes a warm, welcoming place where families can stop by, spend a little time, enjoy fresh and healthy produce, learn, and help things grow.
To keep the greenhouse safe, fair, and joyful for everyone, here are a few easy guidelines:
Supervision
We ask that students be accompanied by a supervising adult.
Thank you for helping us care for this shared space—it makes all the difference.
Planting & Care
You are invited to plant, water, and tend to the greenhouse.
This is a living, growing community project, and your care helps it thrive.
Throughout the summer, we will also be adding new seeds and starts so that when crops are harvested, there will be opportunities to replant and keep the cycle going.
Harvesting
Please feel welcome to take 2 items per day per family.
This helps ensure that everyone has a chance to enjoy what’s growing.
You are always welcome to pass on a share of the harvest so another family can benefit as well!
Community Decisions
We hope the greenhouse is a model of a democratic and transparent space.
Ideas about what to plant, how to share, and how to care for the space are welcome and encouraged.
Together, we can shape this into something vibrant and meaningful for our whole community.
Weeding (Advanced Care)
Weeding can be a bit tricky, especially around our planted areas.
Please only pull plants that are clearly outside of the string-marked sections.
Because this takes a careful eye, we ask that weeding be done only with close adult supervision or prior approval.
Our goal is simple: a greenhouse that is used, loved and cared for, and shared by all.
Thank you for helping create something special for our community.
Let’s grow great things together!
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